Dark Shadows Rising
by peevesisawesome
Summary: It's been years since the Battle of Hogwarts and the magical community is starting to heal. But what happens when a new threat emerges, and seeks to sabotage all that has been achieved since the last War? Will Harry find the strength to protect his family and once again become the Saviour of the Wizarding World?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

When the first remembrance service had been held a month after the Battle of Hogwarts, the castle was in the midst of heavy reconstruction work, so the Great Hall was out of bounds. It was decided instead to hold the service in the Hogwarts grounds in front of Albus Dumbledore's tomb. This decision became tradition, so that even after the reconstruction was completed, services continued to be held outside in the rain or sunshine. What had also become tradition after that first remembrance service, when the wounds were still fresh and painful, was that Harry Potter would make a speech to the audience, which would be broadcast worldwide by reporters from the Daily Prophet.

As a result, Harry found himself standing behind the marble lectern, looking out through the drizzle and just picking out the red Weasley hair in the audience. He suddenly remembered an occasion when Dumbledore had been in a similar position at the Welcoming Feast, but his words had been much simpler: "Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, and Tweak". This memory gave Harry a strange desire to laugh, but he composed himself and concentrated on the message he had to deliver.

"Another year has passed, another year where the sun has shone on this white marble tomb, where the birds have sang in the branches of these trees and where the breeze has ruffled this grass. We have all aged another year, yet there are many who have been frozen in time by the cold hands of Death, and who could not be here to witness the passing of the seasons, or the aging of their children, siblings and parents. It is these people whom we remember today.

"Each year the pain of separation is duller than the last, yet we still remember. Each year the lamentations of grief are quieter than the last, yet we still remember. Each year our wounds heal and our scars fade and hope flourishes, yet we still remember.

"But whilst we remember our loved ones who died for peace and justice, whilst we uphold their memories by fighting for those same values, there are many who are even now working against us, to harm us and to destroy all that we have worked for over the years. We must stand strong and united against them, to show them that no acts of inhumanity will be accepted. The world has witnessed enough suffering—"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there appeared a group of people dressed in black robes and wearing masks. Their wands were already out, and after a split second, curses started flying across the audience. The Aurors amongst the audience reacted just as they had been trained to, hardly pausing to think before they were duelling with the new arrivals. Mothers were gathering their children to them as quickly as possible before attempting to leave the area and run to safety.

Harry paused in shock for a second, before he sprang into action, running down from the stage to aid his colleagues in the fight. However, they were badly outnumbered and, despite their skills, the Aurors were engaged in fierce duels, often with multiple opponents. The leader of the opposition walked slowly through the duellers with a disinterested expression, unchecked by the Aurors who were already struggling with their own battles. He came to a stop in front of Harry and drew his wand.

"Crucio," he drawled, smirking as Harry collapsed to the ground in agony.

-break-

Ginny was seated with her children and Teddy Lupin in the second row of seats. She had placed Lily and James on either side of her, to keep a close eye on them, leaving Albus to Teddy's care. She hoped this arrangement would keep them all out of mischief for at least an hour, so she could listen to the service.

Suddenly, people started appearing amongst the bushes and trees, and curses started flying. Teddy had already jumped up to retaliate, and Ginny drew her own wand. Just over a decade ago, she would have joined in and fought against these idiots, but now she had three children to look after and take to safety, so she did a quick scan before grabbing onto Lily and calling for James and Albus to run with her. However, they had caught sight of their father at the mercy of the opposition leader, and were even now trying to get to him.

"James! Albus! Come with me now!" shouted Ginny. As much as it hurt to see her husband in such pain, she knew he would want her to get the children to safety first.

"But what about Dad?" James retorted angrily.

"He wouldn't want you to get yourselves killed trying to help him, when he's quite capable on his own. So come with me and your sister now!"

James and Albus both knew their mother was right, so they stopped struggling to reach their father and instead turned around. The small group made their way out of the row and started running in the direction of Hogwarts castle, Ginny in front holding onto Lily's hand, with James and Albus close behind them.

Albus turned to look behind him for a second and tripped over an uneven patch of ground. James stopped and was about to help him up again when he saw a hooded figure raising his wand and aiming it at his brother's back. Without pausing to think, James flung himself in front of his brother, catching the full force of the powerful curse. His scream was so loud that the duellers at the memorial service, now some metres away, were momentarily distracted, which allowed the trained Aurors to quickly dispatch their less-able opponents.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The doctors and nurses at St. Mungo's had not been able to do any more than force a Re-energising potion down his throat before Harry Potter pushed past them, ignoring their cries of "Just wait a second, Mr Potter!" and made his way to the intensive care ward. There he found the rest of his family sitting round another plain, ordinary, sterile hospital bed, but this one was painfully different to Harry. Lying in the bed, wearing the striped hospital pyjamas, was the small and vulnerable form of his son's unconscious body. It was at this moment, watching his son look so peaceful, that Harry truly realised how young and innocent his children still were, untouched by the horrors of war that had left his own eyes full with the maturity of someone much older and wiser.

"What happened to him?" he growled at the nurse, who had come in to check on the patient.

"I-I'm afraid we don't know exactly, sir," said the nurse, somewhat taken aback by the venom in Harry's voice. "He was hit by an unidentified but powerful Dark curse, and we didn't want to wake him yet. We've given him a Blood-replenishing potion, but we-we fear the damage may be permanent."

Harry strode forwards and ripped open the thin cotton of the pyjama shirt. A red gash was slashed across his chest, the wound still open and soaking into the fabric. Harry repaired the top with a shaking hand, before collapsing into a chair and placing his head in his hands.

"It's my entire fault," Harry's muffled voice coming from between his fingers. "I should have tried harder to protect him, all of you."

"That's rubbish and you know it, Harry James Potter," replied Ginny in a tone that forbade any argument. "I should have been watching all of them, but I failed, and James got hurt. If it's anybody's fault it's mine."

"No it isn't," protested Albus. "I was the one who wasn't looking where I was going and tripped. If I hadn't been so stupid, we would have escaped easily. I'm sorry, James."

"You're all being idiots," stated Lily matter-of-factly. "It's the guy who cursed him who is to blame. There's no use getting cut up about it, because that's not going to help anyone, and you know it. James didn't sacrifice himself for us to argue over his bedside about who's to blame!"

There was silence, before Albus' small voice spoke up. "Lily's right. We need to help James all we can if he's to get better."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As soon as Harry realised that there was nothing more that he could do for his son in the hospital, he left the rest of his family and Apparated to the Ministry. Making his way purposefully to the nearest golden elevator, it wasn't long before he was striding along the familiar corridor towards his office. He reached his door, and smiled slightly when he saw the gold plaque, bearing the inscription:

_Harry Potter_

_Head Auror_

He never thought he would ever achieve his dreams of having a loving wife and family and his ideal job, but now with all this accomplished he discovered that it was better than he could have ever expected it to be. Despite the long, unpredictable hours and the difficulties of raising three children, Harry wouldn't trade his position for all the gold in the world.

He entered his office and sat down behind his desk. Already, a report on the attack had been compiled and placed on his desk. He gingerly opened the folder, unsure of what to expect. Thankfully, there had not been many casualties and no fatalities. It seemed that whoever had organised the attack was aiming to cause panic rather than serious damage. James' injury was the only one that required long-term hospitalisation. The others had all been discharged after some treatment. So what was it that had led someone to curse his child?

Before he could ponder the question much further, there was a knock on the door, and then Teddy entered.

"Harry, I heard about what happened to James. I'm sorry—I should have protected my family before I went into battle."

"Don't worry, Teddy, it wasn't your fault. You were just doing your job. But in future, remember that the protection of civilians is your greatest priority."

"I won't forget next time, Harry, I promise," said Teddy sincerely.

"Was there something else you wanted?" asked Harry.

"Actually, I just wanted to say that the group of them that were caught have so far refused to say who their leader is, even with the threat of Azkaban. Are we allowed to use Veritaserum on them?"

"Unfortunately not—under current legislation, Veritaserum can only be used willingly by a defendant or witness to verify the truth of their testimony. Leave them in the cells overnight to think about it, and then try again in the morning."

"Thanks, Harry," replied Teddy.

He closed the door and left, leaving Harry to his thoughts. Only two members of the group had managed to escape—one was the leader, the one who had been performing the Cruciatus Curse on Harry, and the other was the one who had cursed James. From their actions, it seemed that, as luck would have it, the two most dangerous members of the group were still on the loose. Harry sighed. He cast his mind back over the events of the memorial service, trying to see if there were any clues that he had missed.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him. Something about the leader seemed strangely familiar, as if Harry had seen him before, but in very different circumstances. Wondering what it was Harry leant back in his chair, deep in thought.

Another knock at his door brought him out of his musings, and this time the door opened to reveal Draco Malfoy. Having denounced his Death Eater activity and then actively engaged in bringing his former companions to justice, Malfoy had received the grudging respect of the majority of the wizarding community, aided by Harry's faith in Draco's honesty. Harry looked up to see what the matter was, and at that moment the mystery surrounding the leader was solved. The eyes of the man before him were exactly the same colour and shape as the cold, calculating ones partially hidden by the mask on the leader.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Draco was saying something to Harry, but he wasn't listening, too shocked by the revelation that had just occurred to him. Suddenly, he asked, "Draco, have you spoken to your father recently?"

"I-Harry, weren't you listening to anything I just said? I was just saying that I was suspicious about my father's recent activities!"

"Draco, things are more serious than you thought. I just made the connection when you walked in the room. Your eyes—they're exactly the same as the leader's eyes!"

Draco closed off completely, a cold mask replacing his former friendly features.

"Are you suggesting that I am involved in this attack? Do my recent actions mean nothing to you? Am I condemned to be slighted and mistrusted by even you?"

"No, no, you misunderstand me. I simply wanted to show you how I figured it out. Your eyes may be physically the same as your father's, but the spirit within is more different than ice from fire."

"Are-are you saying that my father was behind these attacks?" asked Draco uncertainly, the mask slipping slightly.

"Unfortunately, it seems to be the case. I got quite a good look at his eyes whilst he was torturing me."

Draco's hands were balled into fists, so tight that his knuckles were white.

"If that is the case, I will work with you to bring him down. He doesn't deserve any of the sympathy he has received from you. This time, _I_ will show _him_ how Malfoys should behave."

With that ominous statement, Draco swept out of the office. However, after a few moments he returned, somewhat calmer than before.

"I heard that your son was cursed with Dark magic. Seeing as it now seems that my _father_," he spat out the word, "was behind the attack, maybe it would be worth it if you came and took a look at some of the books in Malfoy Manor. There may be a counter-curse written there somewhere."

"That's a great idea, perhaps I'll send Hermione over—she would probably be best suited to the job. And maybe someone could go to Grimmauld Place and have a look there as well…Thank you, Draco. If you have any more ideas, do not hesitate to come to me. And…sorry about your father…"

"He is only my father in name. I have dissolved all association with him, and I would be glad to aid you in any way I can to bring him to justice."

**A/N: Haha, I bet you thought I was turning Draco Malfoy into an evil git again **** But no, it's actually Lucius! If you didn't fall for my trick, please review so I can praise your ingenuity (and please review anyway, even if you did fall for it!)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Despite what he may have said in Harry's office, in truth Draco was shaken to learn that his father had not given up on his Death Eater ideals. Whenever he tried to be angry at his father for everything that he had done and forced his family to do, he would think of the man who used to read bedtime stories to him, and look after him when he was sick. Although those outside the Malfoy family would not believe it, Lucius Malfoy was once a kind, loving father and took great care of his son. However, after the return of Lord Voldemort, this man slowly disappeared to be replaced by the hard, cold and cruel man that the rest of the world saw. However, Draco could not truly hate his father whilst he still thought that, just perhaps, the kindly man was still buried inside.

His head filled with these thoughts, Draco Malfoy Apparated away from the Ministry back to Malfoy Manor. Opening the door, he was shocked to see broken bits of porcelain and glass all over the hall floor. Suddenly, he was on his guard, with his wand drawn.

"Astoria?" he called, icy fear numbing his brain. He heard a muffled shout coming from the drawing room and burst in, to see his wife gagged and tied to a chair. He quickly undid the bindings and brought her to his chest.

"Draco, they took Scorpius! I tried to stop them, but they overpowered me and tied me up. What are we going to do?"

"Did you recognise any of the people?"

"Yes. One of them—I'm so sorry, Draco—one of them was y-your f-father," she cried, before breaking down. "He s-said he w-would take Scorpius a-away and…and train him like he trained you."

Draco continued to comfort his wife, but his insides were boiling with rage. This was the final straw. His father could do anything he wanted, but as soon as he started to harm his family, Draco knew that the man he used to be was lost forever. The old Lucius would never have done something so callous and evil. The mention of his father's 'training' left Draco more worried than he cared to show his wife. He remembered vividly his own time in that godforsaken house, where he learnt to control his emotions and use Dark magic. The only benefit was that he now knew where Scorpius had been taken.

Eventually, Astoria had calmed down enough for Draco to leave her. However, before he could return to the Ministry to update Harry on the new situation, the doorbell rang. He opened the door to reveal Hermione Granger, whose face quickly turned to shock when she saw the mess behind him and Astoria's tearstained face peeking out of the drawing room.

"What happened here?" she asked.

Once the situation had been explained to her, she immediately sat down with Astoria and put a comforting arm around her. Then she turned to face Draco.

"Don't worry, Draco. You need to get to the Ministry to talk with Harry. I'll stay here and look after Astoria—maybe she can help me with my search of your library."

"Thank you, Hermione. I hope you find what you're searching for."

"You too, Draco," she replied.

With a grimace, Draco left the house to get a bunch of Aurors together to face his father.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The old dilapidated house was just as Draco remembered it. He had no idea how his father had obtained such a place, and he didn't particularly want to know. Perhaps, like Malfoy Manor, it had been passed down through the generations, along with the practices that took place inside it.

As the only person that had been here before, he had been in charge of briefing the team of Aurors on the details. Reliving memories that he had tried hard to repress had been difficult for him, but he thought that only Harry, being the overly-observant person he was, had noticed. This was confirmed when, before entering the house, Harry pulled him aside.

"I don't pretend to know what happened inside this house, Draco, but it's my duty as Head Auror to make sure you're up for the job. Nobody will blame you if you don't want to go in. You could swap with one of the others and be on lookout duty if you want."

"It's OK, Harry; I think I can handle it. Besides, I know this place the best. It would make more sense for me to go in…"

Harry nodded, and they continued with the plan, all of them silently entering the house.

Two Aurors went down the steps to the basement, two went to search the ground floor and the remaining four went upstairs. As soon as they reached the second floor landing, some sort of alarm was triggered, and half the group was incapacitated. This left Harry and Draco alone. They split up, one turning left and the other turning right along the corridor. Suddenly, it seemed that Draco knew exactly where Lucius and Scorpius were. He walked straight to the room at the end of the corridor and blasted the door open.

Once the dust had cleared, he saw Scorpius tied to a chair in the middle of the room, looking terrified, whilst Lucius turned to face the intruder.

"Ah, hello Draco," he said in a falsely cheerful tone. "I wasn't expecting you to come so soon. Especially after the nightmares I gave you here…"

Draco swallowed down bile, as his mind went back to his own experiences in this room. However, he forced himself to concentrate and the present situation came back into focus.

"Leave my son alone. I won't let him be part of your sick, twisted games. He's a Gryffindor, and I'm proud of it. I've changed for the better, Father. I don't believe in all that pureblood supremacy nonsense any more, and I won't let you corrupt my son like you corrupted me."

If Lucius was shocked, he didn't show it. He just laughed.

"And how are you planning to take him back? You know perfectly well what your son is sitting over. If you try to hex me, I'll let him drop."

Draco looked at his son's pale face, before eying the trapdoor beneath his feet. He knew exactly what was in the pit below him, and he could not allow his son to know what was in there. He slowly started to lower his wand, but a movement behind him stopped his arm. Harry had come into the room and now had his wand trained on Lucius as well. Draco glanced over at him, and a silent agreement passed between them. He took a deep breath, and suddenly pointed his wand at Scorpius.

At that moment, Harry shouted "Incarcerous!" and at the same time, Draco shouted "Accio Scorpius!"

As the spell left Harry's wand, the trapdoor opened. However, Scorpius (and the chair) was already zooming towards Draco, who hugged him in relief before removing the chains that bound him there. He then went over to the trapdoor and, averting his eyes, closed it.

**A/N: If you want to know what exactly happened in the house when Draco was there, please review! If I get enough support, I may write a small accompanying piece about it **


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

It had been a few months since the events of the 'Horror House', as Draco termed it, and life had returned to normal.

Hermione had found a complicated counter-curse in one of the old books in the Malfoy library, which had healed James, apart from leaving a scar. However, Harry needn't have worried about this, because when James learnt that his chest would never look quite the same again, he replied with "I don't mind, chicks dig guys with scars! Dad would know." This had resulted in a telling-off by Ginny, whilst the rest of the family rolled around in laughter at the priceless look on Harry's face.

Scorpius was shaken by the kidnapping, but he had not experienced any 'training' before he was rescued so he made a swift recovery. Later on, Harry had cornered Draco about his behaviour, especially around the trapdoor, and once he learned the truth about the house, he was thankful that they had intervened when they had. He would not want any child to experience what Draco unfortunately had.

The man who had cursed James turned out to be Crabbe Snr., so he, along with Lucius Malfoy, was given a long jail sentence in Azkaban, with no chance of parole. Despite Lucius' pleading that he only wanted to spend more time with his grandson, it was a unanimous decision by the Wizengamot that he was trying to incite hatred and was therefore found guilty of numerous charges. Narcissa and Draco both testified at his trial, and it seemed that both of them were now able to move on in their lives.

All in all, peace had been restored.

**A/N: Lol, James is so funny **** I hoped you liked my tying up of the loose ends! As I said last time, please review if you want to know what happened in the 'Horror House', and I may write a one-shot about it!**


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